Four candidates at forum mostly agree on Anderson issues

Four candidates seeking three Anderson City Council seats laid out their similar visions for the city of about 10,000 at a forum Monday evening.

But while all four said public safety and economic growth were their top priorities, some differences emerged.

Incumbents Susie Baugh, Melissa Hunt and James Yarborough, as well as challenger Steve Neutze, all attended the League of Women Voters of Shasta County forum at Anderson New Technology High School, which had about 15 to 20 people in the audience.

All four praised Anderson's half-cent public safety tax, which has allowed the department to hire four more officers. Neutze said he wants more officers to continue 'aggressive patrols' to keep homeless camps from becoming entrenched. They can get them to move along to other areas, he said.

Anderson police officers are professional with the homeless but the city doesn't have the resources, such as a shelter, to help them, Baugh said. She called the tax's impacts 'amazing' because they can be proactive, such as going into the camps.

Yarborough lauded the tax as fair because everyone pays it, not just property owners.

Hunt said the tax has allowed proactive policing by the city's problem-oriented-policing unit, such as a troublemaking home on her street. It used to have bustling traffic and other issues, but after she reported it, officers began targeting the home.

'By golly, that traffic dried up,' she said. However, she cautioned that no silver bullet exists — crime will always be a concern, Hunt said.

For her, the economy and jobs are the biggest issue, and revitalizing the downtown was on several minds. She sees downtown Anderson as a walkable area filled with niche shops.

That idea appeals to Garrett Coble, 19, who lives in Cottonwood but attended the forum with friends. He said he's spent a lot of time to find hidden gems, such as a record store, in the area.

Yarborough said the city needs a variety of big and small businesses, and city staff have been reaching out to businesses.

Baugh said she doesn't know about mixed-use development, but some property owners care only about the rent check, not the conditions of the buildings.

Neutze echoed that idea, adding he'd like to see a low-interest loan for business to improve facades.

All except Hunt, when asked, expressed opposition to recreational marijuana, which may be legalized in November.

Hunt said it's difficult to answer a hypothetical, but she stands by the city's restrictive medical marijuana ordinances.